Sunday, April 30, 2017

We were only 25 at Family Camp.  In the past our numbers have been as high as 70.  But with one and another taking off for another field of service, returning to America for good, being on furlough, and other reasons, we have dwindled down.  Though small in number we had a wonderful time.

The Bible teaching was excellent.  One evening we studied the person and work of the Holy Spirit.  Our pastor and his wife were very down to earth.  And they had a heart for people.  They managed to spend time with each of us.  



 

Saturday, April 29, 2017

What a delight to be back in the land of blogging!  Somehow our gmail password was blocked and we have not been able to contact the outside world for about two weeks.  But we are back in business once again.

I just returned from a week in the North West for our annual Family Camp.   Jim was sick so had to stay home and recover.  We had a wonderful time.  But it's late (I've just plowed through 125 emails) and time to find my bed.  I'll write more later.

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Yesterday I spent my last shopping day in town.  Too hard.  Too exhausting.  No longer have the energy for such a trip.  Have spoken with Francis.  He has agreed to take over the task.  He's miles younger than me.  I will go to the bank to get our money when it arrives from the U.S.  I will buy certain things that only I can pick out.  Then I will come home.  Period.  The following day Francis will go to the stores and to the market and do the monthly big shopping.  

Age claims yet another aspect of my life.  It's OK.  Glory is on the other side of this downhill slide.  I'm looking forward to that and release things without complaint.  Just one step closer to home.

Monday, April 3, 2017

Been reading a book.  Came in this last batch of books donated to our library.  Talking about being grateful.  Told a true story from the late 1800s.  There was a ship that was hit and disintegrated.  One young man on board had been in seminary, preparing to become a pastor.  He was a good swimmer and ended up saving seventeen people from drowning that night.  However in the process he lost his own health.  He spent much of the time in a wheelchair.  Seminary was out of the question. He never became a pastor.  In fact he wasn't able to do much of anything.  From time to time someone would write an article about the wreck and always mention the man who saved seventeen lives.  Then twenty years later a young reported contacted him.  He was doing an article about the wreck.  He asked what the man who saved so many lives remembers about that night.  The man said whenever he thinks of that night, he remembers saving seventeen lives, but mostly he remembers that nobody ever came and said thank you to him.

Some time ago our driver began telling us about an important lesson someone had taught him.  He used to take things for granted.  But this person taught by example that it is good to say thank you to everyone.  To the gate guard that lets you onto the center.  To the waitress who brings your food to you.  To the grocery clerk who tallies your grocery bill.  To just everyone.  So now he notices the little people and says thank you to them.  He asked if I knew who it was that taught him this valuable lesson.  I hadn't a clue.  Guy piped up and said that it was me!  So I told them this is what we learn in God's Word.  There were ten lepers who were healed but only one came back and thanked Jesus.  Eric was amazed at the practicality of that Bible passage.  He had never thought of how it applies to our everyday life.
 

Sunday, April 2, 2017

It wasn't our regular preacher today.  Asked how many of us had ever read the Bible through.  Many hands went up.  Two times?  Some hands dropped.  Five times?  Ten times?  Many hands were down now.  How about twenty times?  Thirty?  Only four hands left.  

Couple of weeks ago the young man I meet with asked me how I know so much about God and the Bible.  Told him I was born into a Christian family.  My parents took me to church in their arms.  When the doors were open, we were there.  When I was twenty one I attended Bible school.  Then we had a pastor who began in Genesis and slowly went through the Bible, studying one verse at a time.  Our Bible knowledge really grew under his instruction.  But what helped me the most was to read the Bible.  Simply read it.  Read some each day.  And before you know it, you have read it all the way through.  Then just start over again.  Told him many times people have tried to tell me this or that about God or the Bible.  But they are wrong.  I hand then a Bible and ask them to show me.  They fumble around and say if they had their own Bible, they could find it.  I tell them that's not true.  It's not in God's Word.  He never said that.  It's contrary to His teaching.  Being saturated in the Word is the best protection against false doctrine.

So how many times have you read the Bible through in your life?  Start today.  It's never too late.